Electric gas lighter and extinguisher



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

E G. L. HOGAN.

ELECTRIC GAS LIGHTER AND EXTINGUISHER.

No. 879,896. Patented Mar. 18,1888.

E s *1 $2 I 7 n K E Z 9 5B 7 j a g 0 \i I d WITNESSES: L\ INVENTOR:

ATTORNEY N. PETERS Phclo lilhughpher, Waxllinglnrn 11c,

(No Model.) 2 Shets-Sheet 2.

G. L. HOGAN.

ELEGTRIGGAS LIGHTER AND EXTINGUISHBR. No. 379,396. j Patented Mar. 13,1888.

Q l'l WITNESSES: INVENTOR:

ATTORNEYS.

N. PETERS. Phflio-Lillwgraphur, Washinglom n. u

-- UNITED Y STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE L. HOGAN, OF OLMSTEAD, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF, AND BERRY T. CONWAYAND JAMES A. KELLY, BOTH OF LEBANON, KENTUCKY.

ELECTRIC GAS LIGHTER AND EXTINGUISHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 379,396, dated March13, 1888.

Application filed July 2, 1887. Serial No. 243,263. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE L. HOGAN, of Olmstead, in the county of Loganand State of 1 Kentucky, have invented a new and Improved I 5 ElectricGas Lighter and Extinguisher, of

which the following is a specification, reference being had to theannexed drawings, forming a part thereof, in which Figure 1 is a sideelevation, partly in section, of my improved gas-lighter. Fig. 2 is arear View, partly in section. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken online 00min Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a vertical section of the gas burner andvalve. Fig. 5 is a detail plan view of the conr5 taet-springs, and Fig.6 is a diagram showing the electrical connections.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all thefigures.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple and effective devicefor turning on gas at a distant point, lighting it, and turning it offthrough the agency of an electric current, the device to be used forlighting a singlelanip or a series of lamps at the same instant and to 25 be used for street or oflice lighting.

My invention consists in a gas-burner provided with a pnppet-valveoperated by ashaft and eccentric receiving rotary motion from theoscillating armature of an electro-magnet,

0 the mechanism being adapted to alternately open and close thegas-supply passage.

It also consists in the combination,with the ratchetwheel secured to thevalve-operating shaft, of two pins projecting from opposite 5 sides ofthe wheel at right angles at diametrically-opposite points and a pair ofcontactsprings arranged to be operated in alternation by the said pinsfor breaking the opening and closing circuits when the valve is openedor 0 closed.

My invention also consists in the combination, with the valve andcircuit operating mechanism, of a pair of conductors carrying a platinumcoil pivoted to the gas-valve casing 5 and acted upon byacam carried bythe ratchet wheel, so as to push the platinum coilupward into thevicinity of the burner--tip, and at the same time to bring thelower endof one of the conductors against the contact-spring for completing thecircuit.

To the base A is secured a cylindrical casing, B, terminating inaburner, O. Thelower end of the base A is adapted to receivethegassnpply pipe, and the gas-passage a, extending through the base, isenlarged near the top of i the base, forming a valve-chamber, b, whichis partly closed by the plate a, forming the valveseat. To the plate 0is secured an arm, (I, which is apertured vertically, forming a guidefor the stem e of the valve D. The valve D is smaller in diameter thanthe valve-chamber b, and is adapted to close the opening in the plate 0.The upper end of the valve-stem 6, above the arm d,is securedtoafiatspring, f, attached to the side of the wall of the casing B andprovided with a shoe, 9.

On a shaft, E, extending through the casing 13, is secured an eccentric,F. The eccentric F is arranged to engage the shoe 9 on the spring f, sothat when the shaft E is turned, in the manner presently to bedescribed, it car ries the eccentric F around and presses downward thespring f, thus opening the valve D, and the further turning of theeccentric releases the spring f and allows it to close the valve D. Bothends of the shaft E are prolonged beyond the side of the casing, andupon one end of the shaft is secured the ratchetwheel G.

Upon the extremities of the shaftEare pivoted the arms h i, which carrythe armature H and form the armature-lever. These arms swing looselyupon the ends of the shaft E. To the inner side of the arm 2' is secureda ratchet-wheel, I, whose teeth are oppositely inclined with respect tothe teeth of the wheel G. To the ratchet-wheel Gis pivoted a pawl, j,which is pressed into engagement with the ratchet-wheel I by the springis, secured to the wheel G, and upon the flattened surface of the casingBis pivoted a pawl, Z, which engages the teeth of the ratchet-wheel G,the said pawl Z being pressed into engagement with the.

ratchet-wheel by a spring, m. The armature H is maintained in its normalposition by a spring, a, attached to the casing 13 and connected withthe arm 73.

To the lower part of the base A is secured a plate, J, which supports anelectro-magnet, K, underneath the armature H. To an arm,

0, projecting from the side of the casing opposite the armature H, isjournalcd a rock-shaft, p, carrying at one end an arm, g, which engagesa cam. r, carried by the ratchet-wheel G, and is furnished at itsopposite end with an arm, 8, carrying an insulating-bar, t, to'which areattached two conductors, to o. The con ductor u is prolonged below theinsulating bar t, and both of the bars a r extend upward parallel witheach other to a point opposite the burner C. The upper ends of theconductors a v are connected by a platinum spiral, w. A flatcontactspring, L, secured to the plate J, extends upward into the pathof the prolongation ct of the arm a.

In the outer face of the ratchet-wheel G is inserted a pin, 1), at rightangles to the face of the wheel, and at a diametrically-opposite pointis inserted a similar pin, 0', in the inner face of the ratchet-wheel G,and to. the plate J are secured two contact-springs, d e, which projectupward into the paths of the pins bc. Opposite the springs d c issupported a post, f, by the plate J, the said post carrying twocontact-points,hi, which normally are touched by the springs d c. To theplate J are attached bindingposts M, M, and N.

The mechanism described is inclosed by a cover, 0, fitted to the plate Jand provided with an aperture, j, through which the parallel conductorsto '0 project.

The electrical connections are as follows: The binding'post N isconnected with the wire 7t, leading to the conductor 1;, and with oneterminal of the magnet K by the wire Z. The remaining terminal of themagnet K is con nected with the postf. lhebinding-post M is connectedwith the spring (1, and the hinding-post M is connected electricallywith the springs L c by the wires on a. At the central station isarranged a switch, 1 provided with the contact-points op. thebinding-posts q r, and the switch-lever s. The binding posts q r areconnected with the terminals of the battery Q. The binding post q isconnected with the pivot of the switclrlever s. The bindingpost 1' ol'the switch is connected by a wire, 6, with the binding-post N of thedistant lamp. The contactpoint p of the switch is connected by a wire,a, with the bindingpost M, and the contact-point 0 is connected by awire, 2), with the binding-post M of the distant lamp.

The operation ol'my improved device is as follows: When it is desired tolight the lamp, the circuit is closed by pressing the switclrlever s onthe contact 0, when the electric circuit is alternately opened andclosed by the key It, placed in the circuit, thereby causing thearmature H to be alternately attracted and released by the magnet K.Each douuiward movement of the armature H causes the ratclr et-wheel Ito turn on the shalt E and by its engagement with the pawl j to moveforward the ratchet-wheel Gone tooth and each upward movement of thesaid armature H (due to the attraction of the spring 91.) turns theratchet wheel I in the opposite direction, bringing a new tooth intoengagement with the pawlj. The next downward movement of the armaturecarries forward the ratchet-wheel G another tooth, and so on as long asthe circuit is complete. During the step-by-step movement of theratchet-wheel G the cam 'r is brought into engagement. with the arm (1and the prolongation a of the conductor a is broughtinto engagement withthe spring L, causing a part of the current to flow through the saidconductor and through the platinum wire 20, thereby heating the wire.The motion is thus continued until the turning of the eccentric hasopened the valve I) and the for ward movement of the cam 1- has carriedforward the platinum coil w,bringing it into contact with the escapinggas and igniting it, the said earn 0' afterward releasing the arm q,allowing the conductors to '0 to be carried away from the burner by theaction of the spring L, until, finally, the pin b comes into engagementwith the spring 0, breaking the circuit between the said spring and thecontactpoint t, projecting from the postj. When this occurs, the furtheroperation of the magnet through the wire 2; is prevented and the valve Dremains open, allowing the gas to escape through the burner until it isdesired to shut off the gas.

The shutting ofii of the gas and the extinguishingjof the light areaccomplished by placing the switch-arm s on the contact-pointy, thenmaking and breaking the circuit by means of the key It, the currentflowing through the wire a, binding post M, spring (1, contactpoint It,post f, magnet K, wire Z, bindingpost N, wire t, and binding-post backto the battery Q. Eachimpulse of the current causes the magnet K toattract the armature H and move the ratchet-wheel G and its shaft by astepby-step movement until the eccentricF has attained adiametrically-opposite position, thereby allowing the valve 1) to close,as shown in dotted lines in Fig. at. Assoon as the valve is closed, thefurther movement of the ratchetwheelG brings the pin 0 into contact withthe spring (1, thereby breaking the circuit and preventing the furthermovement of the shaft E and eccentric F until it is desired to againturn on and light the gas.

\Vhen applied to street or series lamp lighting, the burner is to befastened onto the gassupply pipe. The office-connection of the wires ismade as above specified. These wires are then passed through the likebindingposts of each burner throughout the whole system. Thus when onelamp is lighted the whole series will be lighted.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent- 1. In an electric gas-lighting apparatus, thecombination, with a burner and a springpressed valve therein, of anelectro-magnet, an armature supported in the field of the magnet, aneccentric for depressing the valve against the action of the spring,andintermediate mechanism for operating the eccentric from the armature,substantially as described.

2. The combination, with the valve D, adapted to close on the aperturedplate a, of the spring f, connected with and adapted to close the valveD, the casing B, provided with the burner 0, the shaft E, journaled inthe casing B, and the eccentric F, mounted on the said shaft,

substantially as specified.

8. In an electric gas lighting and extinguishing apparatus, thecombination, with the valveoperating sh aft E and eccentric F, of theratchetwheel G, secu red to the said shaft, the ratchet wheel I, placedloosely on the said shaft, the spring-pressed pawlsj Z, the armature-armt, fulcrumed on the shaft E and attached to the ratchet-wheel I, thearmaturearm h, fulcrumed on the shaft E, the armature H, attached to thearms h i, the spring a, and the electromagnet K, arranged to act uponthe armature H, substantially as specified.

4. The combination, with the electro-magnet K, valve-operating shaft E,and wheel G,

provided with pins b c, of the contact-springs d e, the contact-points hi, and the circuitconnections, whereby the circuit through the magnet isbroken at each half-revolution of the valve-operating shaft,substantially as specified.

5. The combination, with the burner C and Valveoperating mechanismconnected therewith, of the swinging conductors u v, the platinum coilto, carried by the said swinging conductors, the arm q, connected withthe conductors, the cam 1*, carried by the ratchetwheel G, and thecircuit-connections, substantially as specified.

6. In an electric gas lighter and extinguisher, the combination of theburner G, valve D, eccentric F, shaft E, ratchet-wheel G, carrying thepins Z) c and cam 1', the ratchet-wheel I, arms M, armature H,electro-magnet K, the post f, provided with points h i, the springs d 6,spring L, conductors a v, platinum spiral '10, carried by the saidconductors, and the arm q, connected with the conductors a v and adaptedto engage the cam 9', and mechanism for opening gas-valve, substantiallyas specified.

7. In an electric gas-lighting apparatus, the combination, with anelectro-magnet, K, of the igniting-wire 10, intermediate connectionsbetween rhe said wire and magnet, and the binding-posts M, M, and N, theswitch P, the battery Q, with which the switch is connected, the key R,arranged between the battery and switch, and the wires t a 12, leadingfrom the switch to the binding-posts N M M, respectively, substantiallyas described.

G. L. HOGAN.

\Vitnesses:

O. O. OMOHUNDRO, J. '1. DAWSON.

